Investigator and Fraud Fighter Guidebook: Operation War Stories

Chapter 14

Personal and Professional Growth

“Compared to what we ought to be, we are only half awake. We are making use of only a small part of our physical and mental resources.”

—William James, American philosopher and psychologist

Two of my favorite quotations are included in this chapter, one at the beginning and one at the end. I've had copies of these two quotes tacked on the wall next to my desk for as long as I can remember. Regardless of your profession, personal and professional growth is vital to becoming the best you can be. (Financial growth is often a by-product of the two types of growth combined.) This chapter touches on some areas in which all who serve as investigators and fraud fighters should seek to improve throughout their careers.

Training

Training does not always have to be completed in formal classroom environments. Numerous useful books, seminars, Webinars, and videos are available, sometimes at little or no cost. Many professional trade publications provide useful current information and professional insight that can be invaluable to fraud fighters and investigators.

Many useful classes and programs have been developed to provide the minimal basic and/or advanced knowledge needed to perform the jobs or to better perform the jobs. Passing and completing some of these (e.g., investigative academies) are often a prerequisite to getting or keeping some jobs. College degrees are also useful and sometimes also a prerequisite to employment with many agencies. ...